Wall panel supporting system



July 8, 1969 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 W. C. HEIRICH WALL PANEL SUPPORTING SYSTEM sheei 012 INVENTOR 4W|LLIAM c. HEIRICH ATTORNEYS W. C. HEIRICH WALL PANEL SUPPORTING SYSTEM July 8, 1969 Sheet 012 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 LNVENTOR' WILLIAM C. HEIRICH FIG. 7

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,453,795 WALL PANEL SUPPORTING SYSTEM William C. Heirich, 515 S. 15th St, Muskogee, Okla. 77401 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 516,885,

Dec. 28, 1965. This application Dec. 20, 1966, Ser.

Int. Cl. E04b 2/06 U.S. Cl. 52479 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Hanger straps for supporting interlocking panel elements from supporting structure and brackets for securing supporting structure to existing wall.

Cross-references to related applications The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 516,885, filed Dec. 28, 1965, now Patent No. 3,300,926 and entitled Wall Paneling System and also relates generally to application Ser. No. 519,149, filed Jan. 6, 1966, now Patent No. 3,293,819 and entitled Wall Paneling Clip.

Background of the invention The present invention relates generally to wall paneling systems adaptable either to new construction or the modernization of older buildings.

In addition to applicants own pending applications referred to above, the following is a list of pertinent prior art: Streeter, U.S. Patent 459,051; Caywood, US. Patent 918,824; Mahon, US. Patent 1,810,287; Marsh, US. Patent 2,064,984; Toti, US, Patent 3,234,697; Louks, US. Patent 1,714,682; MacKean, US. Patent 3,232,018; Belgium, Patent 535,761; French 1st addition Patent 79,221; Swiss, Patent No. 360,793; Great Britain, Patent No. 686,852; Germany, Patent No. 802,406.

Summary of the invention The present invention is directed to flexible brackets enabling supporting structure, to which the panel elements are fastened, to be attached to existing building walls without the necessity of employing permanent fasteners; i.e., the supporting structure may be simply snapped in place within the brackets. Another feature of the present invention are the hanger straps which permit the entire weight of the assembled panel elements to be carried directly by the supporting structure. Finally, the end or terminal panels of the assembled wall can be cut to the precise desired length without sacrificing structural integrity.

Description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section illustrating the attachment of T-supports to a wall with the use of the novel flexible brackets of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view partly in section illustrating the hanger straps of the present invention which permit the entire weight of the assembled panel elements to be carried by the T-supports through the bottom trim channel;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the sliding attachment of a clip assembly which supports the interlocking flanges of adjacent panel elements to the T- support;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating schematically the support of panel elements with the use of the hanger straps of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an end view of a single panel element illustrating its male and female locking flanges together with the three points at which a terminal panel can be cut to adjust the coverage of assembled paneling;

FIG. 6 is an end view illustrating a cut half terminal panel secured within a side cap with the use of a channel fastener; and

FIG. 7 is an end view illustrating a cut one-third terminal panel supported within a side cap with the use of a channel fastener.

Description of the preferred embodiments A typical panel element 10 is illustrated in FIG. 5 and includes arched or curved side portions 12 and a trough-like bottom portion 14. Side portions 12 terminate outwardly in male and female locking flanges 16 and 18, respectively. FIGS. 6-7 illustrate how adjacent flanges 16 and 18 are locked to form a wall.

In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 20 generally designates the surface of building front to be covered. Attached to building front 20 are T-supports 22 to which the panel elements are secured. In prior development, applicant permanently fastened T-supports 22 to wall 20 by drilling and bolting, for example. With the use of brackets 24 of the present invention, however, it is possible to simply snap T-supports 22 and into place, thus reducing installation time, particularly when the installer is working at considerable heights upon scaffolding. As illustrated in phantom in FIG. 1, T-supports 22 are secured in place merely by moving them downwardly in. the direction of the arrow, this action compressing the bracket leg permitting the T-supports 22 to snap securely in place. A bolt 26 secures bracket 24 to wall 20.

In prior developments, the entire weight of panels 10 has been supported by the clamping or wedging action of a clip on the interlocking flanges of adjacent panels. This concept is disclosed fully in application Ser. No. 519,149. In the present invention, however, a system is devised for supporting the entire weight of assembled panels 10 from T-support 22, eliminating the necessity of clips 30 supporting the weight of panel elements 10. Clips 30 have curvilinear arms 32 which encompass the interlocking flanges 16 and 18 (FIG. 6) of adjacent panels 10. The top flanges 34 of clips 30 simply hook over the top flanges 36 of T-supports 22, thus permitting clips 30 and assembled panels to slide freely along T-supports 22. Thus, clips 30 merely snap around the interlocking flanges 16 and 18 securing the assembled panels 10 to T-supports 22 against inward and outward pressure. It is to be noted that in FIG. 2, clip assembly 30 is omitted for clarity.

As will now be apparent, panels 10 rest against the bottom trim channel 40 which has upstanding front and back legs 42 and 44, respectively. The bottom of trim channel 40 is secured to wall 20 with support 41 and bolts 43. Hanger straps 46 terminate upwardly in bent flanges 48 similar in configuration to flanges 34 of clips 30, and thus are free to move sideways along T-supports 22. The bottoms of hanger straps 46 are provided with openings 50 and the top of back leg 44 of trim channel 40 is provided with openings 52. Overlapping member 54 and bolting assemblies 56 are employed to secure the bottoms of hanger straps 46 to the back leg 44 of trim channel 40. Slots 58 within member 54 permit adjustment of length of strap, as desired.

During installation, panels 10 are locked together in their usual manner and female flanges 18 snapped into place within the arms 32 of clips 30 at each point where panel crosses a T-support 22. Then, the panels are slid downwardly into the bottom trim channel 40. With this arrangement, it is possible for the panels 10 to slide back and forth on T-supports 22 after being locked in place. Openings 33 are provided in the centers of the backs of clips 30 enabling the installer, when checking out the overall width coverage per panel that he is getting, to make an occasional adjustment by sliding the assembled Patented July 8, 1969- panels in or out to the required overall width measurement, and by putting a sheet metal screw through the female flange 18 and clip 30 into screw slot 23 of T-support 22, to thus secure the particular panel into position against any possible further movement during installation.

As disclosed in application Ser. Nos. 516,885 and 519,- 149, hereby incorporated into the present application by specific reference, applicant has demonstrated the capability of adjusting the overall assembled width of panels by either slightly stretching or compressing each panel 10. This is possible, of course, because the clips 30 are free to slide along T-support 22. In accordance with the present invention, however, the first or last panels of the wall can be cut at points A, B or C, as illustrated in FIG. 5. This permits the use of a half panel to either begin or end a section of paneling, as illustrated in FIG. 6, for example. As will now be apparent, it is possible to leave either or both of the center rolls 60 of the trough-like bottom 14. Specifically, this would depend on the width of coverage required.

While the use of the half panel takes care of most desired coverages, still further variation in width may be accomplished by using either the female or male one third panel sections, designated generally by the reference numerals 70 and 71 in FIG. 5. An example of terminating panel coverage in a male one-third section is illustrated in FIG. 7, for example. The panel sections, of course, can be cut to Whatever actual width is needed to balance out on either side of the main panels, thus allowing the panels to be spaced on their normal centers.

The channel fasteners 72, as seen in FIGS. 6-7, slide within side caps 74 to thus secure the end of cut panel within side cap 74. Because of the unique design of channel fasteners 72, it is possible to secure any terminal end, cut or uncut, within side caps 74.

Manifestly, variation in construction and design of component parts may be envisioned without departing from the spirit and scope of invention as defined by the sub-joined claims.

I claim:

1. In a paneling system having panel elements, a wall and nearby structure for supporting said elements, the combination therewith of a trim channel encompassing selected portions of said elements and supporting the weight thereof, together with at least one hanger including means for attaching same to said supporting structure and trim channel, a bracket assembly mounted on the wall, said bracket assembly being flexible and complementary in configuration with respect to said supporting structure permitting said supporting structure to be snapped in place within said bracket. 1

2. A paneling system as in claim 1, wherein said trim channel has a generally horizontal surface upon which the ends of said panel elements rest.

3. A paneling system as in claim 2, including means for adjusting the distance between said supporting structure and said trim channel.

4. A paneling system as in claim 3, wherein said supporting structure includes a first flange having a portion thereof abutting said existing Wall while said bracket includes a portion engaging said first flange.

5. A paneling system as in claim 4, wherein said supporting structure includes a second flange spaced from said first flange upon which said hanger is mounted While said bracket includes a curvilinear portion encompassing and resting in abutting relationship against a part of said second flange.

6. A paneling system as in claim 5, including a clip assembly mounted upon said supporting structure including opposed curvilinear arms, said panel elements having side portions lying adjacent each other, said adjacent side portions of adjacent panels including locking flanges permitting said panel elements to be assembled as a substantially vertical wall terminating at each end thereof in end panels, said locking flanges being complementary in configuration with said curvilinear arms and fitting within said curvilinear arms.

7. A paneling system as in claim 6, including side caps encompassing said end panels together with channel fasteners mounted within said side caps securing said end panels to said caps.

8. A paneling system as in claim 7, wherein at least one of said end panels is cut between its terminal locking flanges to define a free edge, while one of said channel fasteners secures said free edge to a corresponding side cap. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,493,852 5/1924 Fogg 52547 X 1,917,388 7/1933 Nelson 52511 X 1,197,411 8/1934 Higley 52547 X 3,103,708 9/1963 Pomeroy 52511 X 2,176,654- 10/ 1939 Masters 52486 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,149,500 12/ 1957 France.

294,012 7/ 1928 Great Britain.

347,925 5/ 1931 Great Britain.

U.S. CI. X.R. 52--489, 492, 627, 717 

